Ashes
by Anna Marchen
Summary: Five drabbles set after Blood of Olympus, revolving around Leo Valdez, or the lack thereof.


_If you recognise it, it's not mine._

* * *

**1)**

"Does anyone else want to be Head Counsellor, because I'm not doing it again."

The entire cabin looked up as Jake Mason walked grimly across the room, flopping down on his bed.

"What do you mean?" Nyssa said quietly.

"I'm not taking over from another ghost."

Silence fell across the room.

Jake sighed. "I know I'm the oldest, but I just can't do this again. First Beckendorf, now Leo... I don't want to be that guy, the one who didn't die. So if anyone else wants the job, it's yours. Nyssa, Alex, you're both pretty smart. One of you could do it." He turned to face the wall. "I'm sorry, but I just _can't_ anymore." His voice cracked, like a cable sputtering or a bulb breaking. The Hephaestus campers glanced around at each other. They all knew that Jake had never wanted the job in the first place, that he'd been forced into it in the middle of a war.

"Okay," Nyssa said from her corner, setting down the pile of springs she'd been fiddling with. "I'll do it."

Jake glanced over, and the sheer relief in his eyes made him look three years younger.

**2)**

They were sparring when it happened. A sickening lurch in Nico's stomach sent him stumbling sideways, just enough for Will to duck under his guard, knocking him to the ground.

"I win, Death Boy," he said, balancing the tip of his sword on Nico's throat. Nico blinked dazedly, barely reacting to the nickname.

"Wha-" he managed, before twisting and retching over the sand. Will abandoned his sword, dropping to his knees beside the other boy.

"Nico? What's wrong?"

Nico sat up shakily. Across the arena, Mrs O'Leary howled, the sound sending shivers down Will's spine.

"Someone's...someone's gone."

Will frowned. "Is this a Hades thing? Did someone die?"

"No..." Nico said uncertainly. All the colour had drained from his face. "It's like there was someone who had died, and then they... I don't know, _reversed_ it. It was different to rebirth, though. That's more peaceful."

"Who?" Will asked. "It must have been someone you knew, if you felt it that strongly."

Nico stood slowly, a hand pressed to his head. "I need to talk to Hazel," he said, and ran off.

Will shivered; the dead coming back to life didn't sound like a good thing. Mrs O'Leary howled again, and the arena seemed to suddenly get just a bit colder.

**3)**

Jason liked the attic. Annabeth had shown it to him a few weeks after the battle, and sometimes, if he had a couple of spare hours, he liked to just wander around and look at all the relics gathered there.

Sometimes he found a name he recognised, from mythology or personally. Once, buried in a pile of dented swords and battered daggers, Jason found a small knife made of Imperial gold. The hilt was wrapped in faded purple fabric. There was no label attached to it, but Jason set it gently on the table anyway.

One day a flash of light caught his eye as he flew over the camp. When he went to see what it was, he found Leo's Archimedes sphere, half buried in sand and buzzing irritably. Jason pried it out and did his best to clean it without blowing anything up.

He could have handed it into the Hephaestus cabin, but they were still shaken and besides, they weren't even halfway into Bunker Nine yet. So he took it to the attic. He found a space on the table, on an old stool which had several tie-died necklaces beside it. The sphere buzzed happily as he set it down.

_Archimedes Sphere_, he wrote carefully on the label. _Found by Leo Valdez, Son of Hephaestus._

Then he let it be.

**4)**

Hazel opened the door and gasped as Nico toppled forwards, landing on his hands and knees in front of her. "Nico, did you shadow-travel here again?" she demanded.

"Need to... talk to you," Nico muttered in between heaving breaths. He barely looked capable of standing.

Just then, Frank appeared at her shoulder. "What happened?" He stared at the son of Hades, who had dragged himself into a sitting position against the doorway. "Oh, not again, Nico." Nico shrugged, accepting the proffered hand and leaning on Frank's shoulder.

They ended up in the sitting room, and Nico told them what he thought had happened.

"I didn't feel anything," Hazel frowned. "Is that because I'm an escaped spirit too, or something?"

"I don't know," Nico said, gesturing hopelessly with his hands. "But if there's going to be people coming back from the dead, that could mean trouble."

Hazel bit her lip. Frank looked like he wanted to turn into an iguana. "I don't suppose it could be Leo?" Hazel ventured. "I mean, he had the cure."

Nico shrugged. "There's no way of knowing, really. We just have to hope it's a one-off." He stood up, heading towards the patch of shade beside a pot plant.

Before his sister could stop him, he vanished into the shadows.

**5)**

Piper honestly thought she was going to have a heart attack when the fireball blasted into the ground three metres away from her. Then she looked up, and screamed.

Above her, circling in the pale blue sky, was a dragon, sunlight glinting off bronze scales. As it descended, she could make out two figures on its back. She was already running, and barely avoided being squashed by a huge metal talon. And then something slid past her and landed with a thud in the sand. "I told you I knew where we were-" He was cut off by Piper tackle-hugging him. "Woah! Calm down, Beauty Queen!"

"Leo?"

"Alive and well, at your service. I told you, I had a plan."

Piper didn't know whether to laugh or cry. So she settled for punching him in the arm so hard he nearly fell over. "Seven months, Valdez."

Leo grinned sheepishly. Now she could tell that he looked different, taller and leaner, less scrawny. His tool belt was still fastened around his waist.

The second figure on the dragon leapt down gracefully. She had long brown hair, and was dressed simply in a white t-shirt and jeans. Before Leo could introduce her, they heard running footsteps.

"Piper, we heard shouting. What happened?" Jason skidded to a halt and saw Leo. His mouth dropped open slightly. _"Leo?"_ He held out a hand, as if offering the other boy a handshake. "What-" Leo dived forwards and hugged him too, muffling his spluttered questions.

Piper registered Percy standing beside her, also lost for words. He was staring at the girl. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, tapping him on the shoulder. His eyes were wide, and the colour had drained from his face.

"Calypso," he whispered hoarsely.

The girl nodded, a hint of a smile on her face. "Hello, Percy."

Leo whooped, releasing Jason with a scuff of sand. "Alright! Let's get this party started!" Linking arms with Piper and Calypso, he started to saunter up the beach towards the camp. Jason and Percy exchanged glances and followed. Festus creaked happily and flew above them.

"You owe me an explanation," Piper said, charmspeaking just a little.

Leo smirked. "All in good time, Beauty Queen. Now," he said, pausing on the crest of the hill, looking down at the camp. "What's happened while I was away?"


End file.
